Editor's Note: The following was written by Quentin Misiag and first appeared in the April 1 edition of The Daily Iowan, the daily newspaper of the University of Iowa. You can read the complete story by clicking HERE.

IOWA CITY, Iowa --Area officials pointed to the first two rounds of the Division I NCAA and NIT basketball tournaments as boons to the Iowa City area's economic engine, revving up business for the local restaurant, hotel, and retail markets during historically slow spring break periods.

Record Attendance

Rick Klatt, the University of Iowa associate athletics director for external relations, said 42,578 fans descended on Carver-Hawkeye Arena March 20, 24, 26 and 27 -- two of which marked the highest attended NIT games this year, filling all 15,400 seats.

"I think it speaks to how excited our fans are about our team and our program. It was a bonus for us to have an opportunity to stage two more games, and it was an extra benefit for the community. It was a win-win situation."

Rick Klatt, associate athletics director for external relations

"I think it speaks to how excited our fans are about our team and our program," he said. "It was a bonus for us to have an opportunity to stage two more games, and it was an extra benefit for the community. It was a win-win situation."

Klatt said the Iowa-Indiana State game sold out in just 30 hours. A combined two-day crowd of 11,778 turned out to see the Iowa women's team play, a number he said is a strong turnout for both a weekday game and one that was met with an unfavorable winter storm on March 24.

Carver played host to the first round of the 2012 Division I men's NIT Tournament, and the Hawks beat Dayton to advance to the second round. This year, the Iowa men's team is set to play Maryland on April 2 in New York's Madison Square Garden after winning the first three NIT rounds, the first of which took place on March 20. The Iowa women lost to Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at home on March 26.

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